Archive for November, 2009

Husband and I went out one night to a fancy restaurant. I cannot recall if the night was of any significance but of course when you’re newlyweds, every day is a reason to celebrate. We were ushered to our table and the chef himself came to greet us. We ordered the vegetable terrine for entree and the tuna steak for main. I remember the waiter wince when I asked him to make sure mine was cooked all the way through. We surely must have ordered dessert because I am an insufferable sweet tooth. Funny, I cannot recall now what was on the dessert menu.

The terrine was beautiful. It’s easy to see why chefs regard themselves as artists. Layers of red, yellow, green then white. The tuna steak was huge! I could not finish it all. While we were enjoying each other’s company and nibbling on the food, a scruffy looking man wobbled over to us. His suit, while very expensive looking was far too large for a man of his small stature. The hand that held his nearly empty wine glass was smothered by his long sleeve.

“Enjoying the meal?” he slurred.

Husband and I looked at each other, both of us nervously waiting for the other to reply to the inebriated man.

“Yes, thanks,” one of us eventually mumbled.

He swayed on his merry way, accosting other diners.

It wasn’t until he died, when pictures and footage of his face splashed on the TV screen on every Adelaide channel, that we realised who this drunkard was.

Don Dunstan. Owner of the famous Don’s Table (where we dined that evening) and former Premier of South Australia.

I am obsessed with the weather. I need to know exactly what meteorological drama is forecast for the day not just so I can plan things but just because I NEED to know. I’ve always been this way. When I was younger, I never really watched the news but holy moly when the weather report would come on I was glued. They only ever gave the forecast for the next day though but now we are so fortunate to have 7 DAY OUTLOOKS. 7 DAYS! The weather people can predict the weather 7 days in advance! I have BOM on bookmark (like any good Muslim, geddit?BWAHAHA!!!). I check it at least 3 times a day. The BOM is da BOMB! (I’ll stop now, I promise)

BUT. And it’s a big but. (I like big buts and I cannot lie!! Sorry sorry. Ahem. Where were we?)

They NEVER get it right. NEVER. The weather forecast is updated around 3 times a day – early morning about 5am then again at 11am and last one about 5pm. Even with 3 updates for the day, they consistently get it wrong! I get that it isn’t an exact science. I get it. Apart from physics and maths nothing else really is, is it? The morning report forecasts showers, then updated again 6 hours later and Brisbane will be fine, then 5pm a thunderstorm warning.

Weather people, if you cannot accurately predict what is going to happen for TODAY, what the hell are you giving us 7 day forecasts for?!

You know what your main problem is? If you ask me everyone sits on their computer, watching computer models and radar footage. Does anyone from there actually LEAVE THEIR OFFICE, smell and feel the changes in the air? Go and live with farmers for a month or more and see how accurate their weather predictions are with nary a computer or flipping weather balloon in sight or on site. Because they live on the land. They can smell and feel when rain will come. The animals can sense things too. Even the ants know when it’s going to rain because they come into my bloody house.